


You'll Be There To Save Me

by SincerelyDoReMi



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Squip, Disabled Character, I live for top!Jeremy, In fact none of the other BMC characters are mentioned, Jeremy doesn't have a crush on Christine, Jeremy singing!, Kissing, M/M, Michael almost dying, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Panic Attacks, Recreational Drug Use, Supernatural Illnesses, Things heat up but there's no smut, boyf riends — Freeform, meremy, situational angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2019-01-08 18:54:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12260121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SincerelyDoReMi/pseuds/SincerelyDoReMi
Summary: An AU where Michael has a fictional disorder that requires him to listen to music at all times or else have a severe physical reaction. Jeremy tries to take him to the beach for the first time and things do not go as planned in the worst and best ways possible.





	You'll Be There To Save Me

**Author's Note:**

> I have no experience with kissing or "smoking drugs" so please take my writing with a grain of salt.

Michael Mell was a mystery and a marvel to the scientific community.

Despite years of extensive research (which his mother eventually put an end to), no one could explain his unique condition. It was baffling to doctors and less than believable to the general public. Although technically termed as "hypermelodic dependency disorder" (or HDD), Michael's parents typically described it as a lethal allergy to the absence of music. In other words, he had to listen to music constantly, and if he didn't, he had a severe physical reaction. During the first few years of his life, there were some news stories about it and lots of people would stop his mother in the grocery store to ask "Oh my goodness, are you the mom of that music disorder baby?" as if the 13 month old wearing tiny headphones in her papoose wasn't already a clear indicator. After a while, though, the hype wore out and life continued on. 

To protect Michael from any "silence attacks" - as they called them - the Mell family invested in quite a bit of audio equipment. He already had a Walkman by the time he was walking, and carried it around in the pocket of his tiny toddler hoodie. Although it was later replaced by an iPod and then a smart phone, Michael never had the heart to throw away the retro tech and kept it on a shelf for years with other mementos. There were also CD players and radios scattered throughout every part of the house (later replaced by Bluetooth speakers) along with stacks upon stacks of CDs and cassettes, most of which were gradually sold away in garage sales as they lost their practicality. The one source of music whose use endured throughout all those years was the grand piano in their living room. His father played it beautifully and eventually taught Michael to do the same, even though he hated the lessons. Each brief moment of silence in between demonstrations and attempts left the boy feeling dizzy, and anytime he hit a wrong note, small sparks of pain would ignite in his chest. He was poorly affected by pretty much anything that was off-pitch or off-key, so his parents kept him clear of the awful elementary school pageants and his aunt Theresa.

* * *

When leaving Michael in someone else's care, be it a babysitter or a daycare worker or a teacher, his parents always made sure to clearly explain the severity of his condition to them, and Mama Mell often whipped out medical records from her purse as corroboration. Because of this, the teachers at school would allow Michael to wear his headphones during class as long as they were playing at a low volume and they weren't covering both ears. However, in seventh grade, he had a substitute teacher who hadn't been informed of his HDD and tried to confiscate his headphones before a test. When Michael tried to explain his condition, the sub accused him of lying and took them anyway, saying "I'll give you points for originality, but I've been subbing for ten years and you won't be fooling me." She didn't even believe him when he started shaking and breathing heavily. "Mr. Mell, you can save the act for drama class. I'm not falling for your stupid prank."

"I- I'm, agh, not joking!" he said as pain tore through his chest and the silence suffocated him. He looked around the room, begging the other students to vouch for him. "Tell her!" he shouted. 

They just stared back at him.

"I don't have time for this," the sub said without a trace of sympathy. "Stop distracting my class and go to the principal's office." 

Michael ran out of class but headed into the nearest bathroom instead, huddling on the floor as his "recovery playlist" began to echo against the tile walls. He texted an SOS to Jeremy as the silence attack began to mix with a panic attack, and in less than a minute his best friend was there, busting in through the door like an over-dramatic action hero. Jeremy gave him his earbuds and helped him take deep breaths until Michael's heart rate had returned to normal and the pain had mostly subsided. Then he held him and let Michael cry into his shoulder as he told him everything - how the sub had called his attack a "distraction", how everyone had just stared, how no one had spoken up for him or validated his condition.

Jeremy consoled him and rubbed his back for a few minutes, before promising that he'd personally beat up everyone in that classroom. Michael took one look at the scrawny preteen and snorted, knowing that Jeremy had never thrown a punch in his life.

* * *

 

The two boys had been best friends since kindergarten. Jeremy was always interested in what kind of music Michael was listening to and never seemed bothered by his disability, even when Michael felt like it was a nuisance. Sometimes he had to put their hangouts on pause just to "recharge" and sit with his eyes shut and headphones on, focusing on the melody of a song to reduce a headache. Because of him, they also couldn't go swimming. Even with music playing from a speaker, a safe distance away from the pool, the water muddled the sounds and made Michael feel nauseous any time he submerged his head. There were dozens of other tiny inconveniences that came with Michael and his condition, but Jeremy had accepted both of them wholeheartedly. He always carried an extra iPod and pair of headphones on him and he never complained about having to listen to "10 Hours of Ambient Soundscapes Relaxation Sleep Mix (With Delta Waves)" when Michael spent the night. On birthdays, Jeremy spoiled Michael with CD mix tapes, iTunes gift cards, and even tickets to a Weird Al concert. 

But as great as it was to have a friend who understood his disability, it was even better having one who could see past it too. When Jeremy looked at Michael, he saw more than just the "Headphones Kid". He saw the Michael who loved video games and retro merchandise, the Michael who could stomach a slushee and sushi in the same meal, the Michael who accidentally came out to him while he was high, and even the Michael who faked a carefree confidence to hide his many insecurities. Jeremy saw all of it and never once passed judgment.

And Michael loved him for that.

* * *

One night in Michael's basement, Jeremy and Michael were laying back in their respective bean bag chairs, stoned as all get out, as dreamlike instrumental music played in the background. 

"Hey, Micah?" Jeremy turned on his side to face his friend.

"Hmm?" Michael hummed lazily.

"Do you think merpeople are real?"

Michael's eyes opened, searching the ceiling for answers. "Dude... there's gotta be like at least one."

"Right?!" Jeremy whisper-shouted.

Michael sat up in realization. "Why are there so many  _ghost_ hunters but no _merpeople_ hunters?"

"Wait a second..." Jeremy sat up as well and paused for literally **seventeen** seconds, "What if  _we_ became merpeople hunters??"

Michael's only response was a made-up jingle that sounded like a mixture of hard core rock and the Power Rangers theme.  _"Merpeople hunters!"_

Jeremy continued, "But we can't _hurt_ the merfolk, because like they have rights too, ya know? So I guess we could just find them and maybe take pictures or something."

 _"Merpeople finders! Respects the rights of other sentient lives!"_ Michael ignored the slight pain his impromptu song was causing and watched as Jeremy doubled over with laughter and fell out of his bean bag chair.

Michael threw his head back laughing and pointed at his friend, who in return tried to push him off his own bean bag. As Michael fell back, he latched onto Jeremy's wrist and brought him down with him. They rolled and wrestled through stifled laughter before Michael finally allowed Jeremy to pin him. He looked up at his crush, expecting a victoriously snarky comment, but instead only seeing an adorably excited smile. Jeremy's high, one-track mind, continued on about finding merpeople, as if that was a normal conversation to have while straddling your best friend.

"We could like, put a message in a bottle and tie a rock to it and then go to the beach and throw it way out in the ocean so it sinks down-"

Michael smiled up at Jeremy and nodded. "Uh huh, uh huh-"

"And then-!" Jeremy paused and his face fell. "Oh wait... you can't go in the ocean though."

"Oh yeah." Michael averted his gaze at the reminder of his limitations. He scrunched his face in frustration. "That sucks!"

"Maybe one day we'll find a siren, but like a nice one, who can sing to you while you swim, so instead of luring you to your death, it keeps you alive. That'd be cool."

"Yeah..." Michael closed his eyes, picturing the waves with a sad expression. "I really wanna swim in the ocean, Jer."

Jeremy, in all seriousness, took Michael's face in his hands and made determined eye contact that was way too close for heterosexual comfort.

"Okay, Micah."

* * *

Fast-forward to three weeks later.

"Dude, look what I found!" Jeremy ran up to Michael's locker, all but shoving his phone in his face.

He squinted at the screen through his glasses and scrolled through the page. "Waterproof headphones?" he asked, trying to hide the excitement in his voice.

Jeremy nodded. "So, we can uh... go to the beach. If you want." 

Michael couldn't help but smile warmly. "You remember that?"

Jeremy's face turned red as he averted his gaze and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah..."

Michael snickered, "Well, I don't know if I wanna go with you if you're going to be rambling about merpeople the entire time-"

Jeremy shoved him weakly. "Shut up!"

* * *

When the headphones arrived in the mail, Michael tested them out by submerging his head in the bathtub, holding a thumbs up to Jeremy when the music continued to play without fault. They picked out a date, picked out a beach, and went to the mall to pick out some new swim trunks (red for Michael and navy blue for Jeremy). Mama Mell wasn't too thrilled about the whole idea, but the boys reassured her that they'd be careful and promised to call if anything happened. 

When the day finally arrived, Michael and Jeremy booked it to the beach in Michael's PT cruiser with snacks, towels, sunscreen, and emergency audio equipment piled up in the back seat. It was a cloudy day, with a light rain sprinkling on and off every few minutes, so the beach wasn't crowded at all. Michael closed his eyes and let Jeremy bury him in sand as Bob Marley songs played through his earbuds. About 15 minutes later, Jeremy stood up and marveled at his masterpiece, smiling contentedly as Michael slept beneath the blanket of sand. He snapped a picture with the cheap disposable camera Michael insisted on bringing and chuckled softly as his friend's face twitched awake to the flash it made.

"Morning sunshine," Jeremy teased.

"Wuh?" Michael blinked up at Jeremy as the boy shrugged off his t-shirt.

"Ready to get in the water?"

Michael stared wide eyed. The sun was peeking through the clouds behind Jeremy, and even without his glasses, Michael couldn't help but notice how it illuminated his soft brown hair and surprisingly toned figure. 

"Michael? Are you okay?" the boy asked worriedly.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine! I just-" Michael coughed and sat up, breaking out of the sandy shell. "Have you been working out or something?"

He brushed off the sand and hid his own torso as Jeremy smiled sheepishly. "Uh, yeah... My dad bought all these work out videos and I thought he'd stick with it better if I did it with him so..." He shrugged and helped Michael up. "Anyways, you ready?"

Michael squinted at the water anxiously as Jeremy continued to hold his hand. "I guess I kind of have to if I wanna get this sand out of my butt."

Jeremy laughed and pulled him towards the shoreline.

Michael tried to ease himself into the water, at first just letting it slide back and forth over his feet, but soon the music in his ears was building and he couldn't hold back his excitement any more. He ran out into ocean, hopping over a small wave and then pushing through a larger one, until the water came up to his chest. He took a breath and sank beneath the waves. 

It was amazing. With the music swelling around him and the water suspending him, Michael felt like he'd been transported to some other magical plane of existence. He opened his eyes and took in the swirling, slow-motion colors and fluttering bubbles that surrounded him, enticing him to stay down longer. But the pressure building up in his chest forced him upwards and he broke through the water with a gasp, filling his lungs with air. He was facing the shore again and could faintly make out Jeremy waving at him from a distance. Michael raised his hand to wave back and then realized that his friend was shouting something too.

"Michael, look out!!"

A giant wave crashed into Michael from behind, forcing him back under the water before he could take another breath. The salt water stung in his nose as he struggled against the force of it and returned to the surface. He bobbed out of the water, wordlessly begging for help as his feet struggled to grip the ocean floor. The current dragged him out farther and another wave crashed over him. He coughed and flailed his arms, his panic a scary contrast to the uplifting melody that continued to play in his ears. But then, as the third wave shoved him under, the music was suddenly gone, ripped away by the powerful water.

 _"I'm going to die."_ Michael thought as the water roared around him, pain rushing in and leaving him breathless. He could feel himself sinking as his body shook and lost its mobility. His head ached and a quiet darkness closed in around him and then-

Arms around his waist. A chest pressed up against his. The feeling of rising up... up... up.

Michael thought he was hallucinating, that his mind was providing him with dreamlike sensations before shutting off forever.

Until they broke the surface.

"I've got you Michael," Jeremy gasped. "I've got you. Don't worry."

As he fought to bring them both back to shore, Jeremy kept talking, "C'mon, buddy. Hang in there. Please. Just a little longer."

But without the music, Michael was slipping. His body was convulsing with pain that manifested into groans and whimpers. Jeremy finally pulled Michael onto the shoreline, breathing heavily with exhaustion, as rain poured around them. He dragged Michael away from tide and ran back up the beach to retrieve his phone.

"No," he muttered, pulling the device out of a soaked-through towel. "No, no, no! C'mon! Work, damn it!" He pressed the power button frantically and finally threw the busted technology across the beach, overcome with terror as he looked back and forth between his friend and the distant parking lot. He ran back towards Michael, determined to get him back to the car before it was too late. Michael was crying as his chest trembled and his skin grew paler. Jeremy kneeled over him, wiping away the tears and leaning in so Michael could hear him. "It's gonna be okay, Micah. I promise. We just have to get to the car."

Michael shook his head. "I can't," he said, voice breaking.

"Yes, you can!" Jeremy urged. "I'll help you! I'm- I'm your Player 2, remember?"

He pulled on his arms but Michael seethed in pain and pulled away, shouting, "Jeremy, please! Just-" he shut his eyes so he didn't have to see the terrified blue ones above him, so desperate for hope. He softened his voice, trying to convey a peace with what was coming. "It's okay." 

Jeremy shook his head as the reality of his words sunk in. "No, no! I can't- I can't let you-" his voice broke with a sob and this time, Michael reached up a hand to wipe his tears.

"Hey, it's okay," he whispered shakily.

Jeremy's face was riddled with grief. He clutched his head with his hands and laid it on Michael's chest. "I'm so sorry," he breathed. The choked whisper broke Michael's heart and he wrapped his weak arms around the boy to pull him closer.

"It's not your fault, Jer."

Jeremy hid his face in Michael's neck and whimpered, "I love you, Micah."

Silence.

"Micah?!" Jeremy sat up, shaking his best friend until his eyes fluttered open again, barely registering the face above him as his strength drained away.

"Can you sing?" he whispered before closing his eyes again. It was his dying wish, to hear the voice of the boy he loved. Jeremy had always been wary of singing in front of Michael before, afraid that he wasn't any good and that it'd only hurt his friend, but now, he would do absolutely anything for him.

He sniffed and took a few steadying breaths, mind reeling for a song, before settling on one his mother had sang to him as a child.

 _"Blackbird s-singing in the dead of night..."_ he took a shuddering breath and continued louder, sweeping Michael's hair from his face.  _"Take these broken wings and learn to fly... All your life..."_  Jeremy sniffed, _"you were only waiting for this moment to arise..."_ As Michael's shaking came to a stop, Jeremy squeezed his eyes shut, unwilling to watch as his best friend faded away. He simply held his hand and sang softly. 

 _"Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these sunken eyes and learn to see. All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free."_  The rain slowed to a stop, but Jeremy kept singing. _"Black bird fly... Blackbird fly... Into the light of a-"_

There was a squeeze on his hand.

Jeremy opened his eyes to see Michael smiling at him through tears, his coloration slowly returning to normal.

"Michael? You're okay!" he exclaimed, joy flooding his face.

Michael winced and muttered, "Keep going, you doofus."

"Oh right, uh-  _Blackbird fly... Into the light of a dark black night..."_ Jeremy hummed through the song once more as Michael took deep, steadying breaths. 

"Looks like I found that siren after all" he joked affectionately. 

This gave Jeremy an idea. He raised an eyebrow mischievously and began to sing a different song.

 _"What would I give to live where you are? What would I pay to stay here beside you?"_  

Michael's eyes widened in recognition. It was the Part of Your World reprise from The Little Mermaid - the same song Ariel sang to Eric on the beach after saving him. Jeremy leaned further over Michael, cupping his face with his hand as he sang cheesily. _"What would I do to see you smiling at me?"_  Michael was, in fact, biting back a smile as his cheeks burned red. Jeremy had only been messing around at first, but as he continued, the moment became unexpectedly intimate and he sang with affectionate sincerity. " _Where would we walk? Where would we run? If we could stay all day in the sun? Just you and me."_  He rubbed his thumb along Michael's temple. _"And I could be-"_  Blue eyes stared into brown. _"Part of your world..."_

Michael suddenly wrapped his arms around Jeremy, pulling him down for a much-needed hug, as the light rain returned and fell around them.

Jeremy pulled Michael off the ground and helped him to the car, laughing as he sang, _"It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring. That's all I know, but eff you rain. La la la la la la la!"_

* * *

Almost scarier than the near-death experience itself, was the retelling of it to Mrs. Mell. Even after receiving a sugar-coated version, her reaction was varied and extreme. One minute she was crying and hugging Michael and the next she was yelling at him and banning him from ever stepping foot on a beach again. When the whole ordeal was over, the boys headed downstairs to Michael's bedroom, neither one wanting to be alone that night.

Michael stepped out of the bathroom in his sleep shirt and boxers, soaking in the melody of a vintage record that played near the bed. "So if you're up for a little AotD, I found this post that tells you how to find the Easter eggs on each... level." He trailed off when he saw Jeremy. The boy was sitting cross-legged on Michael's bed in a pair of borrowed sleep clothes and staring poignantly at a red hoodie in his lap. Michael's hoodie. "Jer?"

"You almost died today."

Michael moved to the bed, sitting across from Jeremy. "I know," he said seriously. "But... I didn't. Thanks to you." He gently pulled on the red hoodie and Jeremy lightened his grip, letting Michael slip it out of his hands and place it to the side. " _And_ thanks to your new muscles and angelic voice," he added lightheartedly.

Jeremy scoffed quietly but the anxiety in his face remained, like there was something he was struggling to voice. "It's just... I-" his voice broke slightly and Michael reached out his hand in support. Jeremy took it and held it in his lap, tracing his thumb across Michael's knuckles delicately. "You mean so much to me... and I'm scared of losing you."

"Hey..." Michael moved closer and brought his free hand to Jeremy's face. "It's okay... I'm right here..." Something in his voice changed. "I'll always be right here."

Pensive blue eyes darted nervously in thought before finally looking up and settling into Michael's gaze. Jeremy was breathing a little faster, the pulse in his temple racing under Michael's thumb as he leaned into the touch. He stared anxiously, like he was looking for answers in Michael's eyes, and then, suddenly, his face moved closer until there was only an inch between them. But he couldn't close the distance. Something was stopping him. He paused with the same fear in his eyes that he'd had that afternoon, the fear of losing his best friend. After second-guessing himself, he settled for turning his head and pressing his lips against the corner of Michael's mouth, so softly that the contact wouldn't have even been noticeable if his senses weren't on high alert.  

Michael's breath hitched and a warm sensation fluttered through his chest. Jeremy was pulling back slowly, looking at Michael like he held the world in his hands. And he did. His hand slipped back to the nape of Jeremy's neck and held it firmly so he couldn't retreat anymore. Michael leaned forward, watching as Jeremy's eyes grew wide in relief and revelation. And just as the music swelled to a flourish in the background, he pressed his lips against Jeremy's, sinking into him as gentle waves of euphoria washed over his body. Jeremy gripped onto Michael's shirt, reveling in the long-awaited gratification of tender touches, and returned the kiss eagerly.

They broke apart for air, still close enough that they were practically sharing it, and Jeremy whispered a quick "I love you" before diving back into the kiss, clutching onto the material of Michael's shirt with both hands now. Michael smiled into him and pulled away just enough to reciprocate the phrase before moving down to mouth at Jeremy's jawline. The boy hummed blissfully as Michael slipped his fingers into Jeremy's hair and gently tugged his head back, lips moving lower to the base of his neck. Jeremy let out a breathy and affectionate "Michael..." as he wrapped his arms around his neck. A hand came to rest against Jeremy's hip and it slid up his shirt, taking in the feel of his waist as Michael gently bit into his neck. Jeremy's breath hitched but he didn't pull away, instead carding a hand into Michael's thick hair and keeping him close as the pressure against his skin heightened. 

Michael finally released, breathing heavily as he buried his face into Jeremy's shoulder. At first, he thought Michael was just catching his breath, but then Jeremy heard him sniff, and realized something was wrong. "Micah?" he asked carefully. "You okay?"

Michael let out a sad laugh and turned his face into Jeremy's neck.

"I'm amazing.  _Y-you're_ amazing, " he assured. "It's just- this is everything I've ever wanted and it's so much and it's so new and-" he lets out a breath, and the hot air against his skin sends Jeremy's heart racing. "I feel like I'm drowning in you, Jer."

Jeremy leaned his head into Michael's, tracing soothing patterns on his back. "Do you wanna slow down?"

"No, no, I-" He placed a tentative hand against Jeremy's chest. "I want you." He pulled back to look him in the eye. "I want all of you."

Jeremy could feel his face heating up and his blood rushing lower. After a weighted second of eye contact, he leaped into action, pulling off his shirt and kissing Michael as he dipped him back onto the bed. Jeremy settled his weight against Michael's hips, heart racing as he slid his fingers up his shirt and pulled it over his head. Michael tossed the shirt across the room and looked up at Jeremy, hands gripping his waist.

"Besides, if it gets to be too much," he panted softly, "you'll be there to save me, right?"

Jeremy kissed his cheek and whispered a promise into Michael's ear.

"Always."

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to steal this AU or add on to it, please be my guest (credit for the idea would be fab though). I have "feedback dependency disorder" so please leave a comment below if you enjoyed the story ;)
> 
> (Also I couldn't find a way to fit this into the story, but I had this idea that Jeremy won't let Michael smoke pot by himself anymore, because one time, when he did, he thought it would be a great idea to walk to 7/11 at one o'clock in the morning to get a slushee. But on his way back, his phone dies and he has a silence attack, and is inadvertently saved by a guy who's driving by and blaring rap music. The dude jumps out of his car, music still playing, and helps Michael get back home. Michael never tells his parents about this.)


End file.
